The Red Chronicles
by JoRed
Summary: Jolene was there and knows all about Johnny and his gang, and how he survived the fire. But why is she so oblivious to him wanting to be more than a friend?
1. Intro

I do not own the Outsiders! I only own the character Red or Jolene.

Eyes, eyes is what Red had decided to focus her art portfolio on. I had chosen the color red, the inspiration being her defining waves. I was having trouble catching the shade of her hair in this light. Shoot, I didn't even know I could draw till this broad got a hold of me. I sat propped up against the window sill, sprawled out on the bed. Her ankles were crossed, resting on my shins and she sat perpendicular to me as I sketched hastily.  
"You're getting charcoal ashes on your nightgown," I informed her. Maybe it was the nightgown distracting me, not the fact that we were drawing by moonlight. The gown was white cotton with lace trimming, and of course she looked beautiful.  
"Mhmm," she responded, implying that she was in the midst of drawing.  
"Johnny, lean here. I need to see your eyes." My moving wasn't fast enough for her, and she moved to sitting on my knees Indian style and resting her pad on my chest. That was when I could see her hair just right, but I didn't have the strength to look away from her eyes. Just then, the telephone rang, and without looking away she gingerly placed it between shoulder and cheek, quickly finishing the green hue of my eyes. I knew who that phone call was from, and so did she.  
"Yes, Dally, I'll send him home. G'night."  
"Do I _have_ to?"  
"Yes, Johnnycake."

"Why does Dallas want me at his house?"

"Because it's better than yours Johnny, you know after what happened he can't let anything happen to you."  
"Can I have a kiss goodnight?"  
She smiled. "So many questions!" And with that I was promptly kissed goodnight. I don't remember how long it lasted, or if I kissed back. But it made my mind propel into a flashback, as I was ushered out the window, down the TV fixture, and across the baseball diamond that separated our houses, to the day I first laid eyes on the girl who now had a wild obsession with painting them.


	2. Chapter 1

I do not own the Outsiders!

Johnny's P.O.V

"Sure is cold out tonight Johnny, you got a light?"

"Yeah man, whose idea was it to go to the movies this late anyway?" Pony's my best friend and all but sometimes he just doesn't think. We could've called Dally for a ride home but it was too late for that now, at least I had a blade.

"Hey Pony, wanna check out the record store? I here they sell some books in there now, "Pony probably knew I was making lame excuses to not go home, but it was Friday night no doubt my parents were both boozed up.

"Sure man, why not."

…

I'd never actually been in this store before, I'm never at home enough to listen to any vinyl but I knew Pony did. The store was small, and rows of alphabetized records lined the walls. Pony levitated to the books, like girls to Sodapop and I loitered with my hands in my jeans jacket by the Elvis collection.

"Can I help you," I turned to see a red-headed girl smirking at me. Her smirk reminded me of Dallas's, the one I had tried to imitate over and over. She was a few inches shorter than me, and definitely grease. Her t-shirt was covered by a black leather jacket that was too big for her like it had been a hand-me-down and her jeans were covered in holes and grease stains.

"No, just here with my buddy I'm…uh Johnny Cade by the way and this here is Ponyboy." He swiveled around to her attention, and I felt like a toy soldier with the way her hands were on her hips and we lined up here.

"Well, hello Johnny I'm Jolene, Jo for short, find anything interesting Pony," as she shook our hands.

"Yeah, I gotta copy of Gone with the Wind here," he handed her a couple dollars that she shoved into the register and jumped off her stool.

"I know I just met you boys, but you think you could walk with me to my house? Friday nights ain't the best night alone."

"Yeah, sure," Pony shrugged.

"Thanks, be right back." When she returned we strolled out the door, and into the night which seemed to have gotten colder. Pony was shivering and I was chilled although Jolene didn't look fazed. She had a vague look on her face, as if she was angry but not sure how to handle it. This surprised me also the fact that she wasn't giggling or chattering away like most sixteen year old girls in town.

"Do you go to school around here," Pony questioned. I was willing to walk the whole way home without speaking a word and Jo looked intent at that too. But she answered almost bitterly.

"Yeah I go to the high school right around the corner just started today."

"Where'd you move from," Pony's curiosity was going to get the best of him one day even though I couldn't tell him that to his face.

"Bristow, but you probably shouldn't call it moving. I ran away. My mom passed away a year or two ago, and I can't stand my dad beating me every time he gets drunk." This girl had nerve, I would never tell a stranger that even though that was my situation at home. She seemed unmoved though, emotionless.

"Oh, so where are you staying and all that, "Ponyboy ventured.

"My aunt lives around the corner here; she never liked my dad anyway. But she's probably not the best…uh...parent figure either."

We stopped at the corner house, and I could see Pony's place and mine from here. _So this is who lives here_, I thought to myself until they were interrupted by the door being unlocked.

"You guys want a coke or something," it was more of a statement than a question but she looked uncomfortable letting two new greasers into her house even if she was one of us.

"Nah, but thanks we gotta run home," she looked surprised as I spoke up.

"Ok, I'll see you guys at school." She turned to step up the ledge but not quick enough and tripped. She caught herself laughing and waved goodnight.

…

"You wanna crash at our house buddy?"

"Yeah," I replied "it's too cold to sleep in the lot."

Jolene was barely in my mind, and as I fell asleep I remember thinking how familiar she had looked. She reminded me of Dallas no doubt, even her smirk. _She should meet the boys, _I mentally noted as I closed my eyes.


	3. Chapter 2 Sharing Smirks

I do not own the Outsiders!

Jolene's P.O.V

_Damn locker._ These things never opened right. I knew Ponyboy and Johnny were waiting; they had seemed welcoming this morning about taking me to the DX for lunch.

"Hey guys!" I really hoped I wasn't being too enthusiastic, I knew how annoying that could be.

"Ready for lunch," Johnny didn't seem to talk much but he had a cute smile. He reminded me of a shelter dog. Like he'd been through so much that the littlest things could set him off inside but on the outside he just looked like everyday grease.

"You bet are we walking there?"

"Well, if we're lucky Dally will come give us a ride."

"Dallas, as in Winston?"

"Who else?" Johnny smiled again as a burgundy t-bird skidded in front of us. Dallas had blonde hair almost white when the sun reflected on it, and almost clear blue ice for eyes. I'd heard about him around town, he seemed cool to me. But I didn't find him dangerously attractive like other girls did; at the moment he seemed like the big brother type.

"Is he in your gang," I questioned while making air quotes around gang. If this was the whole gang they wouldn't last long.

"Yeah, he's in it. You'll see the rest of the boys tonight. That is if you wanna." Pony seemed so nervous, I don't know why. Johnny offered me the passenger seat, and I sat while Dallas eyed me over.

"So what's a pretty little thing like you doing with us," Dally questioned while pulling away. _Could he go_ _any faster? _But, he did and now we were at about eighty-five.

"Johnny and Pony walked me home the other day and they invited me to lunch. I'm scheduled to meet the gang tonight." I didn't realize I was smirking till Dally smirked too and I realized they were identical. That freaked me out.

"So, I'm assuming you have a name little lady?"

"I'm not little, Dally and my name is Jolene. Jo if you'd like." His laughter could be intoxicating as was my smirk, or his, whoever had it first.

"Here you go kiddos, see ya tonight," I stepped out of the car and stuck my hands in my jeans pockets. Tonight sounded fun. We walked up to the counter of the general store and an employee walked over greeting Pony and Johnny, and scanning me. What was with these people had they never seen a girl before? His nametag said "Sodapop." _Hmm interesting name, sorta like Ponyboy._

"Soda this here is Jolene, she's gonna meet the gang tonight. Jo, this is Sodapop my older brother."

"Well hello Jo, you sure look pretty." Talk about your polite, I was in a white t-shirt and holey jeans.

"Thanks Sodapop, you look good yourself." I was only being kind, but all the girls within earshot turned and gave me the death stare. Soda was kind of cute, but I wasn't going to crawl all over him like the blondes in this place.

"Thanks, but you guys mind getting a table? We got a line starting."

…

I downed my coke as we were leaving the DX, and thanked the boys for taking me out.

"No problem and hey, if the boys like you would you want to maybe join the gang?" Wow, a gang never thought of that. They were nice and protection would be easy. But in the back of my mind a possibility was condensing that maybe I would have friends, like family that actually took care of me. I'd never had that before.

"Really, that would be great." I smirked, but knowingly now.


	4. Chapter 3 Soda:The Welcoming Commitee

**Sorry about not updating sooner! Review please! **

**Johnny's P.O.V**

"Red head eh?" Two-Bit was trying to visualize Jolene like everyone else but Dallas, Pony and I.

"I don't know Johnnycake I'm partial to blondes but she sounds tuff when we going to meet her?"

"I'm going to go get her now," I was closing the gate latch and I heard Dallas mention "sassy little girl" as I walked out. It was eight o'clock I judged by the sun, anytime now my old man should be getting home. I walked past the back of her house, the route being vague seeing as though the only time I had walked her home it was pitch black outside. But, there it was sitting glumly on the street corner "Rae Records." And there she was leaning against the brick wall holding her jacket. Then I realized who was leaning on the wall next to her. They were really hitting it up, and I nervously trudged towards them.

"Hey Jo, hi Tim," I couldn't believe she was talking to Tim Shephard. Of all the guys in this town she had to pick one of our worst rivals.

"You know him," Tim questioned her as if I was a child. But compared to him I probably looked like one anyway.

"Yeah, actually he's going to walk with me for a little bit. But thanks Tim, we'll have to catch up." She batted her eyelashes and swiveled me around by the arm and walked away. I looked back at Tim, he had a slightly dazed but very wanting smirk. It took me by surprise that she could do that I realized, after finally figuring out what she had done.

"You shouldn't torture him like that he'll be pretty disappointed when you don't call him," I noted to her. But her answer was cold, and she was starting to sound like Dally again.

"He'll get over it, and besides I didn't want to start a fight. He had a blade and I know about you not getting along with him to well."

"Then why were you talking to him?" She looked shocked, and I guess she was trying to figure out the answer when she finally sighed.

"I don't know just so I wouldn't get jumped by some Soc's you know? He doesn't seem that bad anyway."

"Alright, the gang really wants to meet you," I informed her and then doubting myself, because I hope I hadn't implied that I wanted to talk the whole way there. But she just smiled and kept walking until we reached the screen door of the Curtis house.

"Well here's the infamous Jolene herself!" Sodapop exclaimed and led her to the couch. _Damnit Soda. _He was good with ladies, better than me and it didn't help that he had sat her down on the two person couch right beside him.

"Hi, judging by your nametag you must be Sodapop, I'm Jo." She smiled and for once Soda did the blushing. Usually a girl blushed at Soda, but today was just full of surprises.

"Ha-ha, yeah I'm soda and this is Steve," as he pointed out Steve "and Two-Bit" Two-Bit grabbed Jo's hand and kissed the back of it, he must have been drinking, "And Darry, uh actually where is Darry?" Everyone looked around.

"I'm right here!"Darry called in from the kitchen and came out to meet the girl. She looked calm enough as she sat down next to Soda.

"Uh so where are you from?" Darry started the conversation lightly, but surely the tough questions were to come. Everyone leaned into her as she answered.

"My dad owns a farm in Browen, I was born and raised there, but when I turned thirteen I went to live with my uncle in New York. I was there until about a month ago when he sent me home and I couldn't stand my father after that, so I ran away." She looked around at our expressions. We were all in a bit of suspense until Steve pushed her for more information.

"It couldn't have been all that easy. Your dad just let you go away? And why'd you come here then?" She smiled and rambled on.

"No, my dad didn't want me to leave which is the "running away part" after my mom died though, he drinks a lot more. So before he went to the bar that night we got into a huge argument. I got mad and left then, and haven't looked back since. As for why here, it's sort of stupid actually. My family is spread all over the country and I have some in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and here. When I bought a train ticket the abbreviation for Oklahoma on the station sign was OK so I chose that one."

Now, it was Pony's turn to question, "So how old are you anyway?"

"I turn sixteen in a month, June twenty-first." The rest of the evening went on in this sort of fashion everyone asking her the usual questions until her and Steve started rambling about cars. It had started innocently, but eventually the guys wanted to know what she was like I could tell because the tone of all our questions changed.

"So why were you in New York?" Soda asked.

"My uncle owns a garage up there. When I was eleven I figured out I liked working on cars, and he gave me a job doing just that." She seemed please the subject had turned and everyone caught a new wave. Everyone started to move more. Soda scooted closer on their couch, while I got up to get a root beer.

"You want a root beer, Hun?" Dallas looked at me expectantly when she accepted the offer.

"Yeah, actually when I was working there, this kid came in with a brand new Stingray," Soda and Steve's eyes lit up "he had trashed the thing though, the engine was completely wrecked and he didn't want it anymore. My uncle refused to buy it, so I offered the kid fifty bucks for it and I had it towed back to my home town."

"So that's it you just bought a corvette with no intentions of running it?" Soda seemed appalled at the idea.

"No, she's not stupid Soda," I told him as I handed her an orange cream soda. I remember her mentioning it was her favorite.

"Ha-ha thanks for the support Johnny. And no, Sodapop it's in my garage now. I bought a whole bunch of parts to fix it up and I'm just now getting around to it."

Steve all the sudden stood up and we gave him our attention.

"Sorry to interrupt you Jo, but I have to work tomorrow and it's eleven o'clock. So, I think we should invite Jolene here to be in our gang." I don't think anyone wanted to refuse so we all nodded.

"Uh, thanks guys but before I accept what does being in a gang constitute?" She looked confused, and so did we. No one had really ever asked that.

"Well, I guess just hanging out, looking out for each other. I'm not really sure if you would hold up in a rumble, no offense but I wouldn't want you to get hurt." We all looked at Darry; he never worried about anyone that openly before.

"Well then sure, what the hell. You guys don't have any like, rules do you?"

Two-Bit responded casually as if he were giving her advice. "Just stay away from the Shephard gang and you'll be fine girl. You need an escort home now?

I watched as they left for her house even though it was only around the corner. _If she wasn't trying to_ _look so tough she might have been jumping up and down_, I smiled at the thought.


End file.
